COPS OFFICE ANNOUNCES $159 MILLION IN TECHNOLOGY GRANTS TO HELP LAW
ENFORCEMENT FIGHT CRIME AND RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES

Washington D.C.- The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
(COPS) today awarded $159 million in crime fighting technology grants to 37 law
enforcement agencies in 25 states and one U.S. territory. The grants were awarded under COPS
Technology Program and will be used to support the development of integrated
voice and data communication networks among emergency response agencies within
the region served by the grant recipients. The grants will cover the purchase of
equipment, enhancements to voice and data network infrastructures, and project
management expenses.

The awards require grantees
to provide a 25 percent cash match and were capped at $6 million for
jurisdictions with populations greater than 500,000, and $3 million for
populations less than 500,000. In
addition to the grant funding, COPS offers grantees ongoing technical assistance
resources throughout the development and implementation phases of their
projects. COPS also requires grantees to participate in an initial technical
assistance conference where national voice and data sharing technology experts
share best practices with participants.

"Fighting crime and
responding to emergencies more effectively requires working seamlessly across
jurisdictions and disciplines, and these grants will help law enforcement and
other emergency service providers offer a higher level of service to their
communities," said COPS Director Carl R. Peed.

The COPS Office is a federal
agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide and supporting
state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. Since 1995, COPS has
invested $12.4 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded
to more than 13,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund
the hiring of more than 117,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge
resource products including publications, training, technical assistance,
conferences and webcasts. Of this
amount, including today's grants, COPS has awarded more than $405 million to
support the development of voice and data sharing communication networks.
To learn more about COPS grants, visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.